Slaughter is an American hard rock band that formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1988. The group was founded by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum, who previously played together in the band Vinnie Vincent Invasion.[4] The addition of guitarist Tim Kelly and drummer Blas Elias allowed Slaughter to quickly gain attention for their lively performances, catchy hooks, and melodic guitar solos.
Following Tim Kelly's tragic death in a car accident in 1998, Slaughter welcomed Jeff Blando as their new guitarist, who has remained an essential part of the band's lineup ever since. Blando also contributed to the band's most recent studio album.[5][6]
Slaughter's music was heavily influenced by the hard rock and heavy metal scene of the 1980s, with an aggressive yet melodic sound. To date, Slaughter has released five studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation album. Their debut album Stick It to Ya, released in 1990, has sold over two million copies worldwide and went double platinum, producing hit singles such as "Up All Night" and "Fly to the Angels".[7][8] Their follow-up album, The Wild Life, has sold over 500,000 copies, receiving a gold certification.[9]
In addition to their commercial success, Slaughter has also received critical acclaim for their music, including winning the American Music Award for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist in 1991, beating out other popular hard rock and heavy metal acts of the time.[10][11]
Despite changes in the music industry in the early 1990s, Slaughter has continued to release new music and tour regularly, becoming a staple of the rock and metal festival circuit since their inception. Over the years, Slaughter has taken part in a number of renowned festivals, including the Monsters of Rock Cruise, the M3 Rock Festival, and Rocklahoma.[12] They have also played numerous headline shows and tours throughout the United States and abroad. The band's high-energy live performances and dedication to their fans have helped them maintain a strong and loyal following for over three decades.
History
Slaughter formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in late 1988. Previously, lead vocalist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum had been in Vinnie Vincent Invasion.[7] Vinnie Vincent Invasion's record company, Chrysalis Records, took the $4 million contract away from Vinnie Vincent for exceeding his credit line with the label, and transferred the contract to former members Slaughter and Strum. By 1989, Slaughter and Strum completed the lineup by recruiting lead guitarist Tim Kelly and drummer Blas Elias.[7]
Slaughter's debut album Stick It to Ya had three singles released that hit the Billboard Hot 100: the hit "Fly to the Angels" (US#19), and the moderate hits "Up All Night" (US#27) and "Spend My Life" (US#39). During this time, a song was released from the soundtrack to the film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. That song, titled "Shout It Out", was accompanied by a music video but failed to make the US Hot 100.[13]
In 1992, the band released their second album, titled The Wild Life. It reached number eight on the US Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and was certified gold, but did not produce any Top 40 hits on the US Hot 100. The only single to reach the Hot 100 was the first single "Real Love" (US#69).
The band planned to record their third album in early 1994. However, in 1993 guitarist Tim Kelly was arrested for charges of drug trafficking,[14] while bassist Dana Strum had a motorcycle accident that injured his playing hand. The delayed album was completed in February 1994 and the first single "Searchin'" was released. However, following Chrysalis Records absorption into EMI Records, Slaughter was dropped from EMI.
The band subsequently signed with CMC International, a new label at the time that signed many hard rock and metal bands in the face of the new grunge popularity. The label had major distribution through BMG. In 1995, Slaughter released the album Fear No Evil. The album did not have much success in North America, Europe, or much of Asia but performed well in Japan. Guitarist Dave Marshall (ex-Vince Neil band) had to fill in for Kelly at times, due to his legal problems.
Kelly's legal troubles ended and the band committed to their next album. In 1997, Revolution was released. The album featured a more eclectic and psychedelic sound, but failed to make an impact. On February 5, 1998, tragedy struck when guitarist Tim Kelly was killed in an auto accident in the Arizona desert. This deeply affected the group, but they were committed to continue with the band. Dave Marshall briefly performed as a touring guitarist for Slaughter in Japan. In 1998, they hired Jeff Blando as Kelly's replacement and began working on their next album. A live album titled Eternal Live was released featuring some of the band's last performances with Kelly.
In 1999, they released the album Back to Reality, featuring Blando as the new guitarist. Blando was previously in Left For Dead and Saigon Kick. Slaughter continues to play many rock package tours with other acts that saw prominence during the glam era of the 1980s and early 1990s. During the summer of 1999, while on the "Rock Never Stops Tour" (which included Ted Nugent and Night Ranger), Slaughter saw some of their previous singles on compilation albums. The VH-1 album "Power Ballads" included "Fly To The Angels"; "Up All Night" was included on Rhino Records "Hard Hitters". Slaughter also took part in the Summer 2000 "Poison, Cinderella, Dokken and Slaughter" tour.
In 2001, Slaughter was a part of the "Voices of Metal" tour featuring Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe, Ratt, and Vixen. Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum's former Vinnie Vincent Invasion bandmate Bobby Rock played as a touring drummer for Slaughter, filling in for Blas Elias on some shows of the Rock Never Stops Tour. In April 2004, Slaughter released a DVD-A entitled Then and Now that features 12 songs and 50 photos of the band over the years. Slaughter also released a DVD that features all of the music videos and behind the scenes footage during the 2004 season.
On July 13, 2007, Slaughter performed at glam metal festival Rocklahoma. However, Strum and Blando were not present during the band's performance, though they did perform with Vince Neil the following night. At the end of January 2008 Slaughter performed a show at Motley Cruise, a four-day cruise in the Caribbean with Vince Neil, Skid Row, Ratt, Endeverafter, Lynam.
Slaughter continues to tour and in 2017 they are scheduled to appear on the Monsters of Rock cruise and at Rocklahoma along with several other scheduled concerts.
Band members
Current members
Mark Slaughter – lead vocals, rhythm and live lead guitar, keyboards, piano, tambourine (1988–present)
Dana Strum – bass guitar, backing vocals (1988–present)
Blas Elias – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1988–2003, 2008–2011, 2019–present)
Jeff "Blando" Bland – lead and studio rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1998–present)
Current touring members
Jordan Cannata – drums, percussion (2021–present)
Former members
Tim Kelly – lead guitar, backing vocals (1988–1998; his death)
Former touring members
Dave Marshall – lead guitar, backing vocals (1995, 1998)
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